A powerfully realised novel that weaves the past with the present and the real with the imaginary. In Winstone s imagination, the Kid and his partner ride through the Wild West on the trail of their quarry. In Winstone s actual life, he s had to abandon his 'partner' and is hiding out in the tough landscape of Central Otago. What has this boy run from, and how will the resilient and engaging twelve-year-old survive? This moving, inventive and hard-hitting novel will remain with you long after you have finished the last page. 'Her talent with prose is far reaching; her ability to pluck a clever phrase from a seemingly inexhaustible well of fluid imagination quite stunning.' - Michael Larsen, Weekend Herald